Transcript Highlights:

• This statewide literacy network will provide this dedicated space for collaboration.
• This literacy network provides that opportunity to open up access to all of our districts in that way
• This literacy network provides that opportunity to open up access to all of our districts in that way
• The literacy network, one component of that, is to provide professional development.
• The literacy network, one component of that, is to provide professional development.

Summary: The committee heard a series of budget proposals focused on education finance, with repeated questions about whether the state’s investments are coordinated, targeted to the highest-need students, and likely to produce measurable results. On the first item, the administration proposed $1 million for a study of California’s curriculum framework, standards, and instructional materials process, plus $250,000 for supplemental ELA/ELD guidance. CDE and Finance said the study would examine how other states organize standards, frameworks, and adoptions, while the chair and members questioned why California has gone so long without updating some standards, what the study would actually accomplish, and whether the proposal was too vague to justify the cost. The issue was held open. The committee then took up a proposed $25 million statewide literacy network within the system of support. CCEE and CDE said the network would coordinate multiple existing literacy leads, create a clearinghouse of evidence-based resources, and improve coherence across the state’s many literacy initiatives. Members pressed on how a one-time, five-year allocation could support a long-term system, how the work would reach distressed and rural districts, and whether the proposal would translate into classroom change rather than just another layer of coordination. The issue was also held open. Next, the committee reviewed a $500 million proposal to expand literacy coaches and reading specialists and to create a math coaches program. CDE described the existing literacy coach cohorts as producing positive reports from participating LEAs, while the LAO recommended modifications, especially for the math coach portion, including limiting eligibility to elementary schools, setting minimum grant amounts, directing funds to eligible school sites, and making eligibility automatic rather than application-based. Members focused on whether coaches were actually being placed at the schools with the greatest need and whether the state has a coherent long-term strategy for literacy and math investments. The committee also heard a $40 million proposal for training and implementation of K-2 reading difficulty screeners, which the LAO said was reasonable but could be reduced because $25 million had already been provided for training; CDE said the new funds were needed for full implementation, procurement, and sustainability. Finally, the committee heard a $10 million proposal for a developmentally appropriate TK multilingual learner screener, with CDE explaining why the preschool language-identification process is different from K-12 EL assessment and the chair asking staff to explore whether a single, more consistent approach could be developed. The meeting concluded with a presentation on universal school meals and kitchen infrastructure, including a $31.5 million backfill, an $84.1 million increase for projected meal growth, a COLA adjustment, and $150 million for kitchen upgrades and training to support freshly prepared meals.

Transcript Highlights:

• We provide training.
• Networks are complex and unique.
• There's networks are complex and unique.
• We do provide a lot of training to our members.
• So we provide training and that adds a benefit.

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Cybersecurity and the Assembly Committee on Emergency Management held a joint informational hearing focused on maximizing the value of state cybersecurity investments, especially by fully using security features already included in existing vendor contracts. The first panel included representatives from Microsoft, Zscaler, and Palo Alto Networks, who described the products and services they provide to California and generally agreed that agencies often have strong adoption in some areas but still face challenges from tool overlap, limited staff, lack of awareness of available features, and the need for ongoing training and configuration support. They also discussed major threats such as ransomware, data loss, attack-surface exposure, IoT/OT vulnerabilities, and the growing role of AI in both attacks and defenses. Members pressed the vendors on whether state departments underuse purchased cybersecurity tools, how to improve utilization, and how to address the cybersecurity workforce shortage. The vendors said utilization is often constrained by staffing, procurement complexity, and the need to align tools with agency missions and maturity levels, but emphasized that training, leadership buy-in, and regular vendor-agency collaboration can improve results. They also discussed how AI can help with phishing triage, data-loss prevention, and security operations, while warning that agencies must manage AI safely and with human oversight. The second panel featured officials from the Department of Technology, Cal OES/CalSIC, and the California Military Department. They described statewide oversight efforts including audits, independent security assessments, continuous monitoring, advisory services, vulnerability disclosure programs, and workforce development initiatives such as the Information Security Leadership Academy and Cybersecurity Education Summit. Officials said some underutilization is real, but it is often tied to differing agency maturity, overlapping tools, and deliberate feature restrictions to reduce attack surface and complexity; they emphasized a balanced approach using people, process, and technology, with plans of action and milestones to hold departments accountable. They also noted federal uncertainty around MS-ISAC and the state and local cybersecurity grant program, saying California is advocating through federal partners and monitoring the impact. The hearing ended after public comment and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• They are P that they are providing in many cases, the majority of the network that's currently providing
• That is a a middle entity that is as part of the provider network.
• But retention rate and and adequate network inadequate network of providers for the people that need
• So it means we had to build a network and a great benefit operations, educate providers and families.
• So member number one as we continue to work to build our network, we have educated providers.

Transcript Highlights:

• An injured worker must seek medical care from a provider within L&I's medical provider network, except
• Generally, a medical provider who treats injured workers as part of L&I's provider network must follow
• the medical provider network.
• It allows an injured worker to receive treatment from a provider outside the medical provider network
• from a non-network provider.

Bills: SB5944

Keywords: language access, collective bargaining, labor relations, employment rights, worker protections, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It does not travel through the card networks.
• It does not travel through the card networks.
• Would you mind just expanding upon liability overall within the network?
• That's outside of the payment network system.
• ACH, the Automated Clearing House network, is about 50 years old now.

Summary: The Special Legislative Commission on the Future of Payments and Sales Transactions by Credit Card and the Impacts for Small Businesses held a public hearing chaired by Senator Paul Feeney and Representative Jamie Murphy. The commission reviewed its charge to gather input on payment trends, cashless transactions, credit card fees, mobile payments, buy now/pay later, and related issues affecting small businesses. Representative Sean Garballey testified in support of maintaining the current card system, emphasizing tourism’s importance to Massachusetts and arguing that universal card acceptance and interchange stability are especially important with major upcoming events and visitors. A large portion of the hearing focused on independent restaurants and small businesses arguing that credit card processing fees are burdensome and unfair when applied to sales tax and gratuities that are not business revenue. Testifiers including Jen Ziskin, Kristen Canty, Nancy Cushman, Kerry Colzer, and others described razor-thin margins and said restaurants pay fees on money passed through to the state or employees. Ryan Lotz also urged reforms to chargebacks, including refunding chargeback fees when merchants prevail, requiring consumers to contact businesses first, and making fees proportional. In response, credit union and banking representatives, including Alex Vereen, Brad Popolado, Deb Peters, and Keely McEwen, argued that interchange funds fraud protection, card infrastructure, and consumer protections, and warned that state-specific changes could create compliance burdens, higher costs, or reduced access to services. Several witnesses addressed legal and policy questions. Dan Swanson and David Montero said states have authority to regulate aspects of the payment system, but Montero warned that state-specific rules could create uncertainty and conflict with federal banking law. Julian Morris and other industry witnesses argued that card payments benefit consumers and merchants by reducing cash-handling costs and increasing spending, while critics of reform said changes could shift costs into bank fees or reduced rewards. Commission members questioned whether sales tax could be separated from card transactions, whether surcharging should be considered, and whether vendor compensation or other state-level relief might be more workable. The chairs said they were exploring a narrower, targeted approach rather than a broad overhaul, and announced plans for one additional public hearing to allow further testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• But we do coordinate with all entities to provide networking services, or what we call StageNet, to all
• And I would say, on the heels of networking too, we also provide—and I'd say networking is an enabling
• But we do coordinate with all entities to provide networking services, or what we call StageNet, to all
• And I would say, on the heels of networking too, we also provide—and I'd say networking is an enabling
• I just want to say again, I really appreciate the effort of our network providers.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, we're seeing the eroded provider network.
• So, we're seeing the eroded<00:13:21.120><c> provider</c><00:13:21.519><c> network.
• We're getting eroded provider network.
• new providers into network and recruit new providers into Kentucky.
• </c><00:36:13.359><c> adequacy</c> providers to meet those network adequacy providers to meet those network

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board meeting began with a roll call and approval of the October 7 meeting minutes. The chair then reordered the agenda to hear the item on Medicaid reimbursement rates and network adequacy first because of scheduling issues. Dr. Steve Robertson of the Kentucky Dental Association was sworn in and testified at length about Kentucky’s dental Medicaid program, arguing that reimbursement rates are unsustainably low, have been largely flat for decades, and are often below the cost of providing care. He said Kentucky ranks near the bottom nationally in oral health, dental Medicaid rates are often 60% or less of commercial rates, and the program’s share of the Medicaid budget has effectively remained around 2% despite growth in enrollment and services. Dr. Robertson said the low rates are contributing to provider losses, rural access gaps, longer wait times, dental deserts, and greater use of emergency rooms for preventable dental problems. He cited examples of office costs exceeding reimbursement for basic procedures, noted that many dentists are small private businesses, and said the state is struggling to recruit and retain dentists because of low payment levels and high student debt. He also pointed to disparities with neighboring states and said recent increases in some oral surgery and cleaning codes were not enough to address the broader problem. His recommendations included completing the rebasing study, increasing dental reimbursement in the upcoming budget, tying future reviews to inflation and cost data, aligning benchmarks, and prioritizing preventive and restorative care to improve workforce stability and access. Board members asked about the size of the needed increase, the effect of private insurance on dental practice finances, and what a new dentist might expect to earn. Dr. Robertson said the association is working on an appropriations request and that private insurance pressures are part of the problem as well, since many plans are HMOs or PPOs with limited provider control over rates. He also said the association can no longer conduct reimbursement surveys because of FTC restrictions, but would try to obtain current ADA data. In response to questions about the future of the program, he warned that without significant changes it could become unsustainable and cited Ohio and Missouri as examples where higher reimbursement improved provider participation and access. The board then heard from Mr. Bowman of Baldwin Consulting, who discussed outpatient behavioral health providers, including ABA therapy and mental health/substance use disorder services. He said these providers face similar issues of rising costs, flat reimbursement, and access problems. He reviewed Kentucky’s network adequacy standards, including travel-time standards, 30-day appointment limits, and newer federal requirements that will require services within 10 business days by 2029. He said wait times for outpatient behavioral health, especially children’s services and ABA, have grown substantially, sometimes to more than a year, and emphasized that the Medicaid department must enforce these standards.

Transcript Highlights:

• literacy network leads and coaches<00:02:56.720><c> provided</c> coaches provided coaches provided over
• ><c> provides</c> The regional literacy network provides The regional literacy network provides professional
• training through the network and provide training to higher education institutes.
• to</c><00:09:57.160><c> higher</c> network and provide training to higher network and provide training
• Um, the coaching and technical support we're providing through the literacy network is key.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But we do coordinate with all entities to provide networking services, or what we call StageNet, to all
• And I would say, on the heels of networking too, we also provide—and I'd say networking is an enabling
• Our network is strong.
• I just want to say again, I really appreciate the effort of our network providers.
• I really appreciate the effort of our network providers.

Summary: The committee received a series of informational reports from NDIT and DPI on major IT projects, cybersecurity, and the K-12 student information system transition. Justin Data reviewed the quarterly major project portfolio, noting 111 projects totaling about $542.8 million, generally under budget and slightly behind schedule overall. He highlighted three schedule-red projects: Bed Management System and Vital Records, both now complete and being closed out, and the Roadway Capital Planning Project, which is delayed due to vendor bug fixes after user testing. He also summarized new project startups, including the Attorney General’s Victim Notification System, HHS Medicaid correctional facilities data exchange, Highway Patrol’s motor carrier e-permit system, and additional RIMS work, and answered questions about project timing, funding, and whether work had begun on legislatively funded IT projects. Chris Gurgan, NDIT’s chief information security officer, reported on mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting under HB 1314. He said 77 incidents have been reported since August 2021, with 47 meeting the statutory definition of a cybersecurity incident; phishing remains the most common type, followed by email quarantine alerts, XDR detections, and malware. He emphasized that most incidents are resolved, but that timely reporting is critical for any chance of recovering funds in business email compromise or ransomware cases. He also described several notable incidents since the last report, including the PowerSchool breach, a SimpleHelp intrusion at a school district, a court intrusion, a WSUS vulnerability, a business email compromise at a K-12 district, and a recent ransomware report involving a non-state critical infrastructure entity. Members asked about smishing, MFA, conditional access, security awareness training, and recovery of lost funds; Gurgan said state systems use phishing-resistant MFA and conditional access, training is provided to state employees and offered to political subdivisions on an opt-in basis, and broader cybersecurity maturity assessments are underway. Craig Falkley gave brief reports on coordination with political subdivisions and higher education, including shared networking, cybersecurity, radio/911, PeopleSoft, and co-location services. He also explained distributed ledger technology as a tool for decentralized, secure data sharing, but said the state has limited use for it and would likely frame future reporting more broadly around emerging technologies. The committee then heard from Tony Ambrose of DPI on the statewide Infinite Campus implementation. He said district implementations are underway, but the project had to terminate its original data migration vendor for poor performance and replace it with Aurora Educational Technology, which had experience with a similar North Carolina migration. He also said DPI is moving special education data from Tynet into Infinite Campus, is still working through how to preserve e-transcripts and Choice Ready-type functionality after the PowerSchool transition, and is developing identity, authentication, and data-sharing arrangements for the summer cutover. Members raised concerns about procurement timing, summer school disruption, and whether some functions would be ready by July 1.

Transcript Highlights:

• This makes it very risky for any provider to provide transition care because it puts them at risk of
• If I were a provider of this care and I had this bill in front of me, I would not provide the care.
• If there is a discrepancy between the MCO and the service provider over whether the provider is high
• When a major provider is suddenly dropped from a network, access to care shrinks overnight.
• I have been provided photos in the past few years that I've been here. ...been provided photos in the

Summary: The committee approved the minutes and then took up a large agenda of health-related bills. SB 1214, the Arizona Stem Cell Therapy Act, drew extensive testimony from supporters who said it would create guardrails for regenerative medicine, protect patients, and encourage biotech investment, while opponents argued it was tied to abortion politics and imposed harsh penalties. The bill passed on a 4-3 vote. SB 1194, which would prohibit health professionals and institutions from denying care based on vaccination status, also passed 4-3 after testimony from supporters framing it as an access-to-care and religious-freedom measure and opponents warning it would interfere with private practice policies and parental choice. SB 1814, creating a study committee on substance use disorder treatment standards and oversight, passed unanimously 7-0. SB 1602, increasing stipends for kinship foster parents, passed as amended 7-0, and SB 1603, expanding child-only cash assistance eligibility, also passed as amended 7-0. The committee then considered several bills focused on gender-related care and public funding. SB 1177, which bars public monies from funding gender transition procedures and makes intentional violations a felony, passed 4-3 amid testimony that it protects taxpayers and counterarguments that it is discriminatory and unsupported by evidence. SB 1014, requiring insurance coverage for detransition procedures when transition care is covered and directing data reporting on transition and detransition, passed 4-3 after supporters said it would help detransitioners and collect needed data, while opponents argued it would chill providers and target transgender patients. SB 1094, creating civil liability for physicians who perform irreversible gender reassignment surgery on minors, was heard with testimony from supporters citing malpractice concerns and detransitioner harms and from opponents saying it would create a hostile environment for providers and treat trans patients differently; the transcript cuts off before the vote is shown. SB 1752, which classifies commercial harvesting or sale of mescaline as a felony while preserving bona fide religious use defenses, passed unanimously 7-0. Later, SB 1628, requiring insurers to report claims-denial and prior-authorization data and DIFI to publish standardized reports, passed unanimously 7-0 after supporters emphasized transparency and opponents called it redundant to federal reporting. SB 1629, requiring AHCCCS managed care organizations to give advance notice and network-adequacy documentation before terminating high-volume providers without cause, also passed 7-0; supporters said it would prevent patients from losing access to behavioral health care, while health plans and Access said existing oversight already covers much of this and warned the bill could slow necessary network changes. Throughout the meeting, the committee repeatedly adopted motions for due-pass recommendations and, where applicable, amendments, with several bills passing on party-line or near-party-line votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• as well as providers, ... ...but seeing sites going down as well as providers.
• . ...children's dental rate and significant increase in provider network expansion for both children
• Where we stopped was at the dental provider network data, which then flows into utilization outcomes
• Dental providers are highly trained clinicians. They should be seen as the overall provider team.
• This is the provider network change. So as I'll restate this...

Keywords: 962, all

Summary: The Care Management Meeting opened with a DSS update on the PCMH program. Staff reported the program remained steady at 124 practices, 553 sites, and 2,548 providers, with some month-to-month fluctuation driven by practice consolidation, retirements, and a few practices leaving the program because NCQA requirements were burdensome. Members asked about declining provider and site counts, member attribution trends, and whether PCMH practices overlap with behavioral health homes; DSS said attribution changes are largely due to members becoming ineligible, moving, or getting other insurance, and that PCMH and behavioral health homes are separate programs that coordinate informally. The committee also discussed why some smaller practices leave the program and whether the requirements could be made easier to support retention. The committee then resumed a detailed presentation on the Husky Dental program. The presenter described the dental benefit’s history, the importance of preventive oral health, workforce and consolidation pressures in dentistry, and the lack of interoperability between dental and medical records. Network data showed year-over-year declines in enrolled dental practitioners and service locations, with access gaps concentrated in rural and eastern parts of the state. Appointment availability surveys showed average waits of 38 days for adults and 23 days for children, but much longer waits at FQHCs than private fee-for-service practices. The presenter said Connecticut remains above the national median on CMS pediatric dental quality measures, though sealant rates remain a concern, and noted that preventive care is associated with lower per-member costs. Members raised concerns about provider participation, large practices dropping Medicaid, mobile dental care, and whether the public directory accurately reflects which dentists are actually accepting new patients. The presenter said the plan uses secret-shopper calls, tracks appointment availability, and has begun using place-of-service coding to better identify school-based dental care. She also noted a new MOU with 20 Head Start programs to share data and provide oral health literacy and navigation support. The final major topic was implementation planning for HR1. DSS said CMS guidance was expected in early June and proposed using upcoming meetings to cover medical frailty, communication strategy, and data integration/ex parte verification. Committee members urged the department to create a dashboard to track disenrollments and other impacts of HR1, to build a process for complaints and problem resolution, and to think through cost-sharing, caregiver verification, exemptions, and notices. Members also asked about using existing eligibility structures such as the working-disabled program as a model. The committee agreed to move the next meeting to June 10 by Zoom, with the agenda to be circulated in advance and any PCMH Plus quality data shared if available.

Transcript Highlights:

• Part of the reason for this is that many consumers must go out of network to find providers who meet
• When health plan provider networks are not sufficient to meet patient needs, people suffer.
• even though telehealth services were widely available, there was only one provider in my insurance network
• by that provider shortage and by market dynamics where some providers can remain out of network, set
• Finally, we believe it is important to point out that out-of-network providers can set and collect full

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard a long agenda of health-related bills, beginning with AB 2651 by Bonta, which would require schools to notify parents when school vaccination rates fall below herd immunity thresholds. Supporters, including family physicians, PTA representatives, and medical groups, said the bill would improve transparency and help parents protect children and vulnerable family members. Opponents argued the data could be misleading, could identify medically exempt or conditional students, and might lead to stigma or discrimination. The bill was later moved out of committee on a due-pass-as-amended motion, with one no vote recorded on the roll call. The committee also heard AB 2123 by Aguirre-Curry on medical debt relief, AB 1570 by Wilson to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for medically necessary breast diagnostic and supplemental imaging, AB 2201 by Berner to restore Medi-Cal eligibility and renewal flexibilities, AB 2448 by Berman to strengthen privacy protections for reproductive and gender-affirming care records, AB 2034 by Addis on food additive safety and transparency, and AB 2598 by Krell to require better notification of next of kin when a patient dies in a hospital. Each bill drew strong support from authors, advocates, and affected individuals, while some drew opposition from insurers, industry groups, or transparency critics who raised concerns about cost, duplication, implementation, or unintended harm. Several bills were moved forward on due-pass-as-amended motions, including AB 2123, AB 2201, AB 2448, AB 2034, and AB 2598. The committee also heard AB 2551 by Elhawary, which would require health plans to collect and publish data on how often enrollees must go out of network for behavioral health care and why. Supporters said the measure would expose access barriers and high out-of-pocket costs, especially for communities of color and people with language access needs; opponents said it would add another reporting mandate and might not solve provider shortage problems. Members generally expressed support for the bill’s goals and several described personal or district-level experiences with behavioral health access problems. The bill was then moved out of committee on a due-pass motion. The committee also took up consent items and other procedural motions, with multiple bills reported out and some placed on call.

Transcript Highlights:

• It does not travel through the card networks.
• Would you mind just expanding upon liability overall within the network?
• That’s outside of the payment network system.
• That's outside of the payment network system.
• ACH, the Automated Clearing House network, is about 50 years old now.

Keywords: 1212, all

Summary: The Special Legislative Commission on the Future of Payments and Sales Transactions by Credit Card and the Impacts for Small Business held a public hearing focused on credit card interchange fees, cashless transactions, chargebacks, fraud, and possible reforms affecting small businesses in Massachusetts. Chair Paul Feeney opened the meeting, outlined the commission’s charge, and noted that the hearing would hear from small business owners, industry representatives, and others on the effects of payment trends and proposed policy changes. Representative Sean Garballey testified first, arguing that universal card acceptance and the current interchange system are important to Massachusetts tourism and should not be disrupted ahead of a busy summer season. A large portion of the hearing featured independent restaurant owners and advocates, who said processing fees are especially burdensome because restaurants operate on very thin margins and are charged fees on sales tax and tips that are not retained as revenue. Testifiers including Jen Ziskin, Kristen Canty, Nancy Cushman, and Kerry Colzer described rising operating costs and gave examples of annual or monthly fee totals, urging relief from fees on tax and gratuity amounts. Ryan Lotz also asked for chargeback reforms, including refunding chargeback fees when merchants prevail, requiring consumers to contact businesses before disputing charges, proportional fees, and safeguards against repeat abuse. Several witnesses, including Dan Swanson, argued that states have authority to regulate aspects of the payment system and cited the Illinois litigation and federal court rulings as support for state action. Opposing testimony came from credit unions, banks, payment industry representatives, and policy groups, who warned that changing interchange rules could create compliance burdens, reduce rewards, raise account fees, and shift costs elsewhere. Witnesses such as Alex Vereen, Brad Popolado, Keely McEwen, David Montero, Hunter Hamburlin, and Luke Bondar emphasized fraud prevention, network security, consumer protections, and the need for a stable, uniform payment system. Some suggested alternatives such as vendor compensation, surcharging, instant payments, or QR pay code standards, while others argued that sales tax and tip amounts cannot easily be separated within current card-network architecture. The chairs said the commission is still exploring options, discussed possible state-level solutions, and announced plans for one more public hearing before moving toward recommendations and a report. The commission then voted to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• physicians or out-of-network facilities, medical facilities.
• , ...but the anesthesiologist is not an in-network anesthesiologist.
• with your provider, it's emergency.
• It doesn't necessarily say that they don't have to provide service.
• That's great if that's what they want to provide...

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The Senate Commerce Committee first approved the February 12, 2026 minutes and then voted to send the gubernatorial reappointment of Trent Nate to the Idaho Health Insurance Exchange Board to the Senate floor with a recommendation for confirmation. The committee then heard three code-cleanup bills from Senator Lakey. Senate Bill 1274 would remove outdated references tied to the transition of county public defender employees and old comp-time and employee-problem-solving provisions; Senate Bill 1275 would delete obsolete provisions related to veteran services assets and the completed North Idaho Veterans Home; and Senate Bill 1273 would repeal several outdated PERSI-related provisions involving community college funds, city retirement plan mergers, firefighter benefits, and other obsolete references. Each of those bills received a due-pass recommendation and was sent to the floor without opposition. The committee spent most of the meeting on Senate Bill 1319, the Emergency Care Affordability Act, sponsored by Senator Burt. The bill would create a new chapter in Title 41 to regulate billing and reimbursement for out-of-network freestanding emergency rooms, require them to accept the local in-network allowed amount as payment in full for covered emergency services, and require disclosure to Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE patients that those programs are not accepted. Supporters, including Blue Cross of Idaho and the Association of Health Plans, argued that freestanding ERs are using the federal No Surprises Act and independent dispute resolution process to obtain reimbursement far above local market rates, which they said raises premiums for Idahoans and state employee health plans. They said the bill targets a specific business model, not hospitals or other providers, and is intended to curb excessive costs and improve transparency. Several senators questioned whether the bill could conflict with federal law, whether it singled out one type of provider, and how EMTALA and the No Surprises Act interact with freestanding ERs. Testimony from Regence BlueShield and Blue Cross described large gaps between market rates and amounts awarded through arbitration, and said the practice is affecting Idaho insurance costs. Opponents or skeptics raised concerns about fairness, preemption, and whether patients were actually being harmed if the facilities were complying with the No Surprises Act and not balance billing. After discussion, the committee approved SB 1319 on a 6-3 roll call vote and sent it to the Senate floor with a do-pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• from the medical provider network.
• from the medical provider network.
• Within the medical provider network, a worker is entitled to seek care from a provider of the worker's
• the worker to seek treatment from a non-network provider if the provider agrees to be paid according
• We are concerned it would weaken the medical provider network and allow attending providers to bypass

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 2091, a collective bargaining measure that would require state agencies and other employers covered by the Personnel System Reform Act to provide unions with employee contact and job information similar to what other public employers already must share. The sponsor and union witnesses said the bill would close a gap left by prior legislation and improve communication with represented employees; no one testified in opposition during the hearing portion shown. Action on the bill was deferred. The committee then moved to House Bill 2264, which would allow workers who voluntarily participate in an employer-initiated layoff or reduction-in-force plan to qualify for unemployment insurance if the separation results from that plan. The sponsor and a member described it as a narrow fix to clarify eligibility and reduce disputes. After brief supportive testimony, the committee voted 9-0 to report the bill out with a due pass recommendation. A lengthy hearing followed on House Bill 2218, a workers’ compensation bill that would expand provider choice, require notice to injured workers of their right to choose a provider, limit employer steering, speed utilization review, allow more flexibility from treatment guidelines, and change rules for reopening or continuing treatment on certain claims. Supporters, including injured workers, unions, attorneys, firefighters, and a psychiatrist, argued the current system delays care and over-relies on rigid guidelines; opponents from business groups and the Department of Labor and Industries said the bill would weaken evidence-based standards, raise costs, and create uncertainty. No final action was taken in the portion shown. The committee also heard House Bill 2105, as a proposed substitute, which would require employers to notify workers after an ICE Form I-9 inspection notice or results, limit voluntary access to certain records without a subpoena or warrant, require workplace postings, and create enforcement by the Attorney General and private lawsuits. Supporters said the bill would provide due process, transparency, and protection for immigrant workers; opponents, especially small business and agricultural groups, warned of conflicts with federal law, burdensome notice requirements, and severe penalties. The hearing continued with additional testimony, and no vote was taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> uh an insurance shall provide uh an insurance shall provide reimbursement<00:12:21.320><c> for</
• are provide.
• No provider, no service.
• The data they're looking at is data that the ambulance providers are providing.
• are providing this ambulance providers are providing this is<01:12:45.159><c> not</c><01:12:45.560><

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee discussed three ambulance reimbursement bills and tried to distinguish their approaches. House Bill 185 would require insurers to pay the full amount billed by an ambulance provider when there is no contract rate, with no balance billing to the patient; the Insurance Department clarified that emergency ambulance services are already covered under the benchmark plan, so the bill’s reference to policies without ambulance coverage is effectively meaningless. House Bill 725 would set reimbursement at 325% of the Medicare rate for non-contract ambulance services and prohibit balance billing. House Bill 316 was described as addressing the broader problem that Medicare/Medicaid rates are low and that current balance billing shifts costs to patients or municipalities; its sponsor said the bill would require insurers to pay a rate that gives providers a fighting chance to remain in business, and he viewed 325% of Medicare as the most logical option. Members debated whether insurers should pay the billed amount, a negotiated in-network rate, or a regulated percentage of Medicare. Some argued that out-of-network ambulance providers are underpaid and that in-network rates are often too low to sustain service, especially for emergency providers who cannot steer patients. Others said ambulance companies should not be able to bill whatever they want and questioned the fairness of charging insured patients or insurers more than the service is worth. There was also discussion of whether rate schedules should be reviewed by an oversight body and whether different costs in rural areas justify different reimbursement levels. A recurring issue was balance billing and who ultimately bears the shortfall. Several members said balance billing harms patients and often does not get paid, leaving cities and towns or property taxpayers to cover the difference for municipal ambulance services. Others argued that shifting the cost to insurance premiums would spread the burden more fairly, though it could raise premiums by a few dollars per person per month. No vote or final action was taken in the excerpt; the discussion focused on clarifying the bills and weighing their policy tradeoffs.

Transcript Highlights:

• It does not travel through the card networks.
• That's outside of the payment network system.
• That's outside of the payment network system.
• ACH, the Automated Clearing House network, is about 50 years old now.
• Card networks.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Legislative Commission on the Future of Payments and Sales Transactions by Credit Card and the Impacts for Small Businesses held a public hearing focused on interchange fees, sales tax and tip processing, chargebacks, fraud, surcharging, and the broader future of payment systems. Chair Paul Feeney and co-chair Rep. Jamie Murphy opened by explaining the commission’s charge and inviting testimony from small businesses, industry groups, banks, and policy experts. Representative Sean Garballey testified first, arguing that Massachusetts tourism depends on universal card acceptance and stable interchange, and urging the commission not to disrupt the current system ahead of major events expected to bring millions of visitors to the Commonwealth. A large portion of the hearing featured independent restaurant owners and advocates describing thin margins and the burden of paying percentage-based processing fees on sales tax and tips that are not business revenue. Jen Ziskin, Kristen Canty, Nancy Cushman, Kerry Colzer, and others said restaurants often operate on very small profits and that processing fees on taxes and gratuities can amount to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Ryan Lotz also urged reforms to chargebacks, including refunding chargeback fees when merchants prevail, requiring consumers to contact businesses before disputing charges, and limiting repeat abuse. Commission members pressed witnesses on whether tax and tip amounts could be separated at the point of sale, and several witnesses said current consumer card systems do not transmit that level of detail. Testimony from credit union, banking, and payments representatives largely opposed state-level changes that would carve out taxes or tips from interchange, warning of compliance burdens, higher costs, reduced rewards, and possible effects on fraud protection and access to credit. Alex Verine of America’s Credit Unions and Deb Peters and Keely McEwen of the Electronic Payments Coalition said the payment system is complex, that interchange funds fraud prevention and network infrastructure, and that new state mandates could create operational and legal uncertainty. Dan Swanson argued states have authority to act and pointed to Illinois litigation and federal court rulings, while Julian Morris and Brad Popolado emphasized the benefits of card acceptance, the decline of cash, and the need to consider other payment methods and check fraud as well. Several witnesses discussed international payment systems, instant payments, and QR standards as possible future directions. The chairs and members engaged in extended back-and-forth with witnesses about whether Massachusetts could exempt sales tax from swipe fees, whether surcharging should be revisited, and whether vendor compensation or other targeted relief might be more workable than broad changes to interchange. No votes were taken. At the close of the hearing, the chairs said the commission would hold one additional public hearing date to be determined, after which members would begin developing next steps and a report.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's our... ...28 days of treatment without disruption in an in-network provider that's already been
• , even if they are not formally assigned to those providers through their managed care network.
• AB 835 removes the requirement that Medi-Cal providers be network providers in order to be eligible for
• But building out a very robust network of providers to serve our Medi-Cal enrollees.
• Despite calling over 30 offices, not one in-network provider could accommodate her needs.

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee met on April 22 and took up a special order of bills focused largely on prior authorization and utilization management in health care. The chair framed the discussion as part of a broader legislative effort to reduce delays and barriers to care, especially in behavioral health, chronic disease management, cancer treatment, and rehabilitation services. AB 384 by Assembly Member Connolly would prohibit prior authorization for inpatient mental health or substance use emergency admissions and related physician care; supporters said it would prevent dangerous delays in crisis care, while insurers and health plans warned about fraud, abuse, and ambiguity around residential treatment facilities. The bill was moved on a due pass as amended motion and passed the committee on a party-line style vote, with Republicans largely absent or not voting. The committee then heard AB 510 by Assembly Member Addis, which would require health plans, upon request, to provide a peer reviewer of the same or similar specialty when a treating provider appeals a prior authorization denial or modification. Supporters argued that specialty-matched review would make appeals fairer and more clinically informed; opponents said the requirement was too rigid and that timelines and electronic submission rules needed changes. After discussion about the need for timely, specialty-specific review, the bill was approved on a due pass as amended motion and placed on call. AB 539 by Assembly Member Schiavo would extend prior authorization approvals to one year or the duration of the physician’s prescribed treatment for chronic conditions; supporters cited repeated denials and treatment interruptions, while opponents raised concerns about overbreadth, fraud, and the need for shorter validity periods. The bill was also passed as amended and placed on call. The committee next considered AB 669 by Assembly Member Haney, which would bar concurrent and retrospective review for the first 28 days of medically necessary substance use disorder treatment and limit prior authorization for related outpatient medications. The bill was presented with a powerful personal story from Ryan Matlock’s mother about her son’s death after an insurer cut off treatment early; supporters said the measure would keep patients in care long enough to stabilize, while opponents argued it would reduce oversight and could allow lower-quality or non-evidence-based care. The bill was moved on a due pass as amended motion and placed on call. Finally, AB 512 by Assembly Member Harabedian would shorten prior authorization response times to 24 hours for urgent requests and 48 hours for non-urgent requests; supporters said delays can worsen outcomes, while opponents warned the timelines were unrealistic and could increase administrative burdens and safety issues. The bill was approved as amended and placed on call. AB 574 by Assembly Member Mark Gonzalez was then heard; it would allow up to 12 medically necessary physical therapy sessions for a new episode of care without prior authorization, with supporters emphasizing stroke and neurological recovery and opponents warning of reduced oversight and unnecessary care. The transcript ends during testimony on AB 574, before final action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• more of the network is completed.
• And so we're developing the network.
• We, when we developed the network back in 2021, When we developed the network back in 2021, GSN kind
• The network works.
• loan empowerment network under DFP. legislature to provide a one-time $20 million investment in the

Summary: The subcommittee heard May Revision proposals from the Department of Food and Agriculture, the Government Operations Agency, the Department of Technology, and the Franchise Tax Board, with public comment to come later and all items held open. CDFA presented funding for the animal care program implementing Proposition 12, including a one-time $5.2 million General Fund transfer to the Ag Fund and $2.8 million ongoing, and the LAO recommended approval while noting the Legislature should revisit the funding once litigation and federal preemption questions are resolved. CDFA also proposed ending state oversight of industrial hemp and moving to the federal USDA program by January 1, 2028, with an $8.3 million General Fund transfer to cover startup and transition costs; the LAO supported the transition. Additional CDFA items included $204,000 ongoing and one position to preserve agricultural statistics reporting after USDA reorganization, and trailer bill changes to clarify the department’s 5% indirect cost cap; both drew no objections from Finance or LAO. The Government Operations Agency and Cradle to Career items focused on implementing the new federal Workforce Pell program. Finance described trailer bill language establishing state eligibility processes, with the California Student Aid Commission as the authorizing entity in consultation with the Workforce Development Board, and proposed $1.3 million one-time General Fund for Cradle to Career to build data linkages. The LAO urged caution because federal rules were just finalized and said more information was needed on workload, costs, and whether existing data systems could support the work. Senators raised policy concerns about limiting the program to public institutions and about aligning the proposal with broader workforce and labor goals. The committee also briefly discussed SB 53/Cal Compute, with GovOps saying no appropriation had been provided for its consortium work, and Finance saying the administration was not proposing funding at this time. The Department of Technology presented a $30 million operational backstop for the Middle Mile Broadband Initiative, intended to cover any shortfall if expected revenues from the Golden State Net third-party administrator do not materialize in time. The LAO initially recommended rejection over broad spending authority, then suggested amendments with stronger reporting and legislative review; committee members questioned the revenue assumptions, oversight, and whether the request could recur. CDT also sought $1 million for Poppy, the state’s GenAI digital assistant, to expand secure statewide use; the LAO had no concerns, and members asked about data security, model bias, training restrictions, and possible local-government use. Finally, FTB proposed realigning CalFile resources after the federal Direct File program was discontinued, retaining three ongoing positions and returning the rest of the funding and positions to the General Fund; the LAO said the reduced scope was reasonable, and members discussed keeping the free filing system user-friendly and ready for future federal changes. The committee also heard the administration’s digital pre-written software tax proposal, which would extend sales tax to electronically delivered software and SaaS beginning January 1, 2027, generating an estimated $450 million General Fund in 2026-27 and $900 million ongoing, plus local revenue. The LAO supported modernizing the tax base but recommended broadening the proposal to include more digital products while considering a business-use exemption or reduced rate, and flagged a newly added video game exemption as a revenue downside. Senators generally supported the goal of raising revenue and aligning California with other states, but questioned the local revenue distribution and equity effects, and one senator said they would not support expanding the tax to books, music streaming, and similar consumer products. All items were left open without votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• An injured worker must seek medical care from a provider within L&I's medical provider network, except
• Generally, a medical provider who treats injured workers as part of L&I's provider network must follow
• medical provider network.
• It allows an injured worker to receive treatment from a provider outside the medical provider network
• from a non-network provider.

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on several labor-related bills. On Substitute Senate Bill 5874, staff and Senator McEwen described a proposal to let the Employment Security Department waive penalties for minor quarterly reporting errors by employers, especially inadvertent electronic filing issues involving occupational codes and job titles. No one testified in opposition, and the public hearing was closed. The committee then heard extensive testimony on Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5847, which would expand injured workers’ access to medical providers, allow medically appropriate departures from L&I treatment rules, prohibit employers from requiring treatment from a specific provider, and set timelines for utilization review. Supporters, including workers’ advocates and union representatives, said the bill would improve access to care and reduce delays, while business groups opposed it as weakening the provider network and raised concerns about costs and claim duration. L&I said it could implement the bill with a technical fix and noted that the fiscal note was still being updated. A previously adopted claims-manager staffing amendment was discussed but not included in the version heard. On Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5061, the committee heard testimony on requiring public works contracts to update prevailing wage rates annually rather than freezing them at bid time. Labor groups supported the bill as protecting workers from wage erosion on long projects, while contractor groups opposed it unless amended to allow change orders for wage increases above 5 percent, citing unpredictable jumps in prevailing wage rates and added risk for small contractors. L&I requested a delayed effective date to July 1, 2028 because of IT changes. The committee also heard testimony on Senate Bill 5944, which would make missed or canceled appointment payments bargained economic compensation for language access providers, and on Substitute Senate Bill 5972, which would extend interest arbitration rights to correctional employees in city and county jails regardless of county population. Labor groups supported both bills; counties and a city representative opposed 5972 over cost concerns and asked for fiscal safeguards. Finally, the committee heard Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6302, which would require L&I to investigate possible misclassification when three or more independent contractors are used for the same type of finishing work on a public works project. Labor and contractor groups both supported the amended version, saying it targets misclassification without banning legitimate independent contractors. The hearing ended after testimony, with no votes or final committee actions taken during the meeting.